Tallahassee, FL: Frenchtown town hall on police accountability
Tallahassee, FL – Around a dozen people gathered at the Lawrence Gregory Community Center on Saturday, November 1, for a town hall about police accountability presented by the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC).
TCAC canvassed the Frenchtown neighborhood during August and September, getting opinions on the police presence in Frenchtown. The results found that 35% of people think the Tallahassee Police Department has a good relationship with the community, while 45% do not think so. The survey also found that nearly 80% of people want more accountability from the police.
Outside of policing, 29% of people surveyed struggled with employment, 29% faced difficulties paying rent, and 19% had problems accessing groceries.
After the results were presented, the floor was opened for attendees to share what they struggle with and what issues they see in the community. One attendee said she remembered when the city promised to fund after-school activities some years ago, but when she asked a city commissioner about it sometime later, they acted like they didn’t remember.
Regina Joseph, TCAC’s vice president, connected the lack of activities for kids to the economic distress in the community, which the attendees united with. Attendees showed enthusiasm for TCAC’s campaign to restore the Citizen’s Police Review Board and discussed the need for greater police accountability.